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About DNA Science Blog

Ricki Lewis is a science writer with a PhD in genetics. The author of several textbooks and thousands of articles in scientific, medical, and consumer publications, Ricki's first narrative nonfiction book, "The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It," was published by St. Martin's Press in March 2012. In addition to writing, Ricki provides genetic counseling for parents-to-be at CareNet Medical Group in Schenectady, NY and teaches "Genethics" an online course for master's degree students at the Alden March Bioethics Institute of Albany Medical Center.

During Rare Disease Week, I turn over DNA Science to a family battling a rare inherited disease. I’ve been following Max Randell, who has Canavan disease, in my human genetics textbook since he was a preschooler – he’s now 17, thanks … Continue reading »The post Fighting Canavan: Honoring Rare Disease Week appeared first on DNA Science Blog.

Last Friday, February 13th, Lori Sames couldn’t stop crying as she stared at her screen in a coffee shop near her home in Rexford, New York. The announcement had just gone up at clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02362438: Intrathecal Administration of scAAV9/JeT-GAN for … Continue reading »The post GAN Gene Therapy Trial Gets Green Light appeared first on DNA Science B […]

In honor of Charles Darwin’s birthday today, and VD (Valentine’s Day) looming, I’m thinking about how we choose partners. A mobile dating app called Tinder, it turns out, seems to echo sexual selection, Darwin’s idea expounded in The Descent of … Continue reading »The post Would Charles Darwin Have Used Tinder? appeared first on DNA Science Blog.

Many of us of a certain age have vivid memories of the “diseases of childhood.” We remember missing weeks of school, sky-high fevers, spots and pox, cheeks so puffed from mumps that eating was impossible, for days. Our mothers, for … Continue reading »The post Remembering The Pre-Vaccine Era: The Diseases of Childhood appeared first on DNA Science Blog.

A study published today in Cell compares regulatory DNA sequences among 20 species of modern mammals, showcasing how mammalian genomes have found new uses for ancient genes. The evolution of mammals has been ongoing for about 180 million years, with a … Continue reading »The post Surveying the Genomic Landscape of Modern Mammals appeared first on DNA Scienc […]

A pair of papers in this week’s Nature introduces GROs — “genomically recoded organisms” — whose altered genetic code makes them require a synthetic amino acid to survive. Although this new type of biocontainment indeed keeps microorganisms from spreading to … Continue reading »The post From GMOs to GROs: Will Life Find a Way? appeared first on DNA Science B […]

Levi Collazo, a biology major at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, has cystic fibrosis (CF). “In the first photo, I was making fun of my own weight. I’ve always used humor as a defense mechanism. I weighed 110 pounds. I’m 5’10″. … Continue reading »The post New Miracle Drugs: What Would You Pay? appeared first on DNA Science Blog.

When Susan Coddon, a member of the board of directors of the Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease Research Foundation (APBDRF) e-mailed me a few weeks ago, I was intrigued. “Polyglucosan” didn’t ring any bells. Her husband learned he had the underrecognized condition … Continue reading »The post Adult Polyglucosan Body Disease (APBD): A Diagnostic Challenge appea […]

I’m not a big fan of end-of-the-year lists, such as the “top-10-scientific-achievements of the year” and the “top-10-genetics-stories-for-2014.” Science shouldn’t be a popularity contest. I wouldn’t suggest such a list for DNA Science, because: 1. I can’t possibly know about all … Continue reading »The post Why I Dislike “Best of” Lists and Eman Update from […]

Need a password for a new device or service? Try the genetic code. Messenger RNA triplets and the amino acids they specify provide nearly endless password possibilities. And it’s timely — the People’s Choice for Science magazine’s Breakthrough of … Continue reading »The post How to Use the Genetic Code for Passwords appeared first on DNA Science Blog.